These Red Velvet Madeleines are upgraded from our favorite classic madeleines recipe with a hint of chocolate and a festive red coloring. Serve them with tea or add them to your holiday dessert platter!
Madeleines are perfect bite-sized little cakes that are buttery yet light, crispy yet soft. These red velvet madeleines are no different and they are wonderful for Valentine’s Day, Christmas or anytime you want a tiny snack!
Table of Contents
Why this recipe works
- The name “madeleines” might sound intimidating but it is very easy to make.
- They are an alternative to red velvet cupcakes but without the cream cheese frosting.
- This red velvet madeleine recipe makes 2 dozen madeleines but you can cut it in half or double it as needed.
Ingredients and substitutions
As always, you’ll find the complete list of ingredients and quantities in the recipe card at the end of this post. Below are some notes and substitution tips:
- Butter – unsalted butter is used in this recipe. Since we only need a very small amount of salt, I don’t recommend substituting salted butter here because it can make your madeleines too salty.
- Egg – I use 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks in this recipe. The additional yolks add richness and keep the madeleines moist.
- Vanilla – pure vanilla extract is used to enhance the flavor. Make sure to stay away from artificial vanilla flavoring.
- Sugar – regular granulated sugar is used here. I haven’t tried using other types of sugar so I can’t really recommend substitutions.
- Flour – all-purpose flour is all you need here.
- Baking powder – traditional madeleine recipe doesn’t use chemical leavening, all the lift is provided by the air whipped into the eggs. However, I find that a little bit of baking powder helps in this recipe since the liquid food coloring thins out the batter more than usual.
- Salt – just a little bit of salt is added to the batter.
- Cocoa powder – a small amount of cocoa powder is used to get a hint of chocolate. You can use either natural cocoa powder or dutch-processed.
- Red food color – I developed this recipe using liquid food color that is easily found at any grocery store. However, if you use gel food color, you can use less of it to achieve the same vibrant red.
Tools you’ll need
- You will need a specialty madeleine pan to bake these.
- A stand mixer or electric mixer will be needed to beat the eggs to ribbon stage.
- A pastry brush could be useful to grease the pan.
How to make Red Velvet Madeleines
The following instructions, step-by-step photos, and tips are here to help you visualize how to make the recipe. You can always skip straight to the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
First, beat the eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla extract together until light in color and creamy. The mixture should look thick and falls off the beater in a ribbon.
Second, sift together all the dry ingredients and fold it into the wet ingredients in two additions until just combined.
Tip: at this stage, the batter is very thick. Don’t worry about mixing it until it is smooth or you’ll end up over mixing it.
Finally, fold the melted butter and red food color into the batter and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before baking. And if you can refrigerate the batter overnight, that’s even better!
Tip: make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to get any flour that may not have been incorporated in the previous step.
This recipe makes 24 madeleines. You can bake in 2 batches, 1 pan at a time. You can keep the batter refrigerated while the first batch is baking.
Variations
- You can dip these madeleines in melted white chocolate and they’ll be like a soft red velvet white chocolate chip cookie.
- You can also add a cream cheese glaze to give them that red velvet cake taste.
FAQs
Madeleine batter is supposed to be thick. When you first finish mixing it, it should be a thick but soft batter, perhaps a tiny bit runnier than usual in this case due to additional liquid from the liquid food coloring. However, after refrigeration, it will thicken more.
You can spray the pan with baking spray but I like to brush it with melted butter to keep the madeleines buttery taste. After greasing, dust the pan with flour to give your madeleines an additional layer of protection.
If your madeleines are underbaked, they may stick to the pan. Make sure to allow them to finish baking and cool in the pan after you take them out of the oven before removing them. To remove them, just flip the pan over and tap the back of the pan until the madeleines fall out onto a wire rack or a kitchen towel.
Storage
Madeleines can be kept at room temperature in an airtight container. They will stay fresh for 3-5 days. They will last for up to a week but will start to dry out the longer you keep them.
You can freeze these red velvet madeleines for up to 3 months. Simply thaw at room temperature for a few hours and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
More madeleine recipes
- Vanilla Madeleines
- Matcha Madeleines
- Marble Madeleines
- Olive Oil Rosemary Madeleines
- Peppermint Chocolate Dipped Madeleines
📖 Recipe card
Red Velvet Madeleines
Ingredients
- 6 oz unsalted butter (melted and cooled, 170 g)
- 2 large egg
- 2 large egg yolk
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
- ⅛ teaspoon of salt
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (180 g)
- ¼ teaspoon of baking powder
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder (13 g)
- 1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring (13g)
- Melted butter and flour for pan
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Melt butter in a small saucepan (or in the microwave) and set aside to cool.
- Add the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract to a stand mixer bowl and beat together with the wire whip until light in color and creamy.
- Sift flour, baking powder and cocoa powder into a small mixing bowl. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture with a spatula in two additions until just combined.
- Mix red food coloring with the cooled melted butter and fold the butter into the batter, working quickly as not to over mix.
- Refrigerate the batter for at least one hour, and overnight is recommended.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and brush it onto the madeleine pan, wipe off any excess pool of butter and sprinkle the pan with extra flour, shake off the excess.
- Spoon about 1 ½ tablespoon of batter in each madeleine cup, don’t flatten the batter, it will spread as it bakes.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes, just before the edges are starting to brown.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Allow the madeleines to cool completely in the pan.
- Once cooled, remove madeleines from the pan and serve with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Notes
- Bake these in 2 batches or 1 pan at a time.
- You can add more flair by dipping them in melted white chocolate or drizzle them with cream cheese glaze.
Nutrition
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How long will these keep? Can I make them in advance?
Hi Hannah, once baked, they will keep up to a week but they will start to dry out after a few days. The batter can also be kept in the fridge for 2 days. If you need to make them well in advance, freezing them can keep them longer, then just thaw and dust with powdered sugar to serve.
When do you add cocoa powder? I am assuming with the flour?
Yes, with the flour, sorry about that. I will update the recipe card to reflect the correct step.
Followed the recipe to the letter. The batter felt really thick and heavy. I refrigerated it, and when I removed it it was more like a heavy dough.
Im hoping the final product works
Hi Jill, I hope the recipe worked out for you. Madeleines batter is not supposed to be runny, once you refrigerate, it should be like a soft cookie dough, but hold its shape when you scoop it out onto the pan.
Thanks for the recipe! Making a red velvet trifle for Christmas dessert and needed these cookies to layer with. BTW…my hubby and I quit our jobs in 2000, sold our home and most everything else, packed a small container and moved to Maui!! Unfortunately the Lord suddenly called him home in 2007, but I’m still in Maui, still enjoying every Maui day, and still missing him🙁. We found jobs shortly after we arrived in Maui, found a rental house until the house we built was finished in 2002! You can do it too🤪
Hi Eileen, such a great idea to use these for a red velvet trifle! I’m so sorry about your husband. I admire you guys for doing what you did, it is still our dream to move to Maui one day 🙂 We still talk about it all the time, and I know we’ll do it! Thank you!
These are so gorgeous. It seems you’re the Madeleine queen
Wow. I can only hope that the next time we get to visit we will be able to try them. they look mouthwatering.
The looks of those suckers will certainly lift anyone’s mood! Thanks for sharing!